This volume examines the relationship between democratic legitimacy at the European level and the euro crisis that began in 2010. The legitimacy crisis in Europe stems from the 'governance by rules and administration by numbers' during the debt crisis, which affected the eurozone economy and fueled political discontent.

Using democratic theory, the book evaluates the legitimacy of the EU's governmental activities first in terms of their qualitative process ('throughput'), mapping the different legitimacy pathways of EU actors, and then assesses the effectiveness of their policies ('output') and political responsiveness ('input').

Apart from a thorough and distinct analysis of the governance of the euro crisis and its impact on democratic legitimacy, the book offers several theoretical approaches to the broader issue of how the EU functions and supranational governance in general. It concludes with suggestions on how to address the EU's legitimacy problems, renew its national democracies, and restore its future.

Author: Vivien A. Schmidt

Language: English

Pages: 384

Dimensions: 231X153X20

Year of Publication: 2020